News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-12-01
FATHER ISHMAEI,S GYPSIES.
The Band That Has Been Camping
Along the Jersey Coast.

Along the Jersey Coast.
For months past band of gypsies
has been camping in the seaside section
of Jersey, reaping a golden harvest in
buying and selling horses and swapping
hand made fortunes for ringing dollars.
The genus gypsy has of late years been
supplanted by the tramp, and now it is
with a degree of romantic pleasure that
many welc0me the genuine gypsy of our
daddies:
In the wooded dells of Middletown
Township this band of rovers has been
encamped within sound of the rushing
of trains and within easy reach of the
inquisiti7e. The Gimp is pitched in the
big woods on Mrs. W. M. Smith s
property, not more than d mile or two
from the quaint old settlement of Mid
dletown, which is much the same to-day
as it was when Clinton's army fled by it
from the scene of Monmouth's disas-
trous defeat. The trees are big and
overshadow the camp, and the golden
winged butterflies flicker and the blithe
robins sing in the branches. The band
is composed of about twenty men, wom-
en- and children. The men are tall;
brawny, dark-skinned fellows, the girls
and women have regular features but
are rather small, while the children are
robust and sport-loving to high degree.
The camp is pitched in the edge of the
wood and surrounded by four strong
canvas-topped wagons. Within the
home-circle, as it may be termed, are
the blackened crane-sticks of olden
times, from which always depend iron
pots above the smouldering embers of
fire.
The long wagons are divided into two
compartments. They are used for
sleeping purposes when in camp, and
when on the road are loaded with traps
and baggage. These gypsies speak a
peculiar dialect of their own, and usu-
ally understand English, French and
Spanish. This particular band of gyp-
sizes is made up of one family, the grand
father of which is the sovereign ruler.
They live in primitive style, but at the
same time enjoy plenty of good seasonal
BILE food. Many persons think the gypsy
a sneak thief who will carry off anything
he can lay his hands on, from grind
stone to sucking pig. However, dur
ing the stay of this band for about
month in Middletown, no one has suf-
fered from the depredations of anybody.
The head of the family is named Porter,
and he comes originally fl TOM Yorkshire,
England. He is a tall, gray-haired old
chap, straight of form, 1.-THE of limb and
keen of eye. For a cap he wears sort
of turban, formed by winding brilliant
red 'kerchief about his head. He is
frank looking and bears no resemblance
to the low-lived, sneaking fellow pic
tured as the ideal gypsy in the story
books. His word is law in the camp,
and he is treated with profound but yet
familiar respect by his relatives. He
told the World correspondent, in his
broad Yorkshire dialect, that the family
would soon break camp and go into
winter quarters in Philadelphia, where
he claims to own considerable property.
The gypsies usually spend the winter in
visiting each other in the various cities
of the North, having saved enough
money to live comfortably until the
spring, when they again go on the
road.
Father Ishmael, as he is called, says
he was born in wagon in the wilds of
Yorkshire, and came to this country
with his people when but eighteen years
old. Since that time he has travelled
in all the States east of the Mississippi
River, as well as in Canada. He says
the gypsies have no recognized great
"Queen," as some novelists represent,
but that each tribe has its own ruler.
Many gypsies are very wealthy, and
tribe of them that winters in Ohio own
much of the property in GAINESVILLE.
The old chief was guarded in his ex-
pressions as to the religious belief of
these peculiar nomads, and from his re-
marks it is plain that they are atheisti-
cal in tendency if not in fact, while
children are taught to revere their pa
rents. Ishmaels band had some re-
fne-looking horses, They
were, as a rule, sleek, feet-footed ami
mails that bore ample evidence of good
care. The gypsies, natural-born horse
dealers, knowing all the tricks of the
5rade, can dye horse any color desired,
md can drug and doctor them better
han skilled veterinarian. AS result
much money is made by them in horse
lealing. 1t is the rule of a gypsy's life
% never appear anxious to sell anything
As a result they are usually enabled to
obtain their own prices.
On Sundays the camp is besieged by
many inquisitive visitors. Then it is
hat SWANS and maidens come to hear
If future husbands and dangerous rivals.
The gypsy fortune tellers are all or
nearly all palmists. They closely scru-
inize the lines of the hand, which they
ay picture the past, present and future
If the all-coniding subject. Yesterday
N old, wrinkled woman who leaned
Upon cane told fortunes in little Sc
,luded bower made of brush. She was
,ery old, but the sparkling of her keen
yes bespoke innate shrewdness and
,reat vitality. She was bareheaded,
wore q neat calico dress and over her
shoulders lightly rested yellow shawl.
She charged the reporter a dollar to
enter her bower. Then she grasped his
land, turned it palm upward and
,rooned over lot of unintelligible glib
perish as she closely scrutinized the
ines thereon. The old dame said the
subject had seen much sorrow, but that
his lines would be more pleas
mt. He would always be lucky, but
lever Tlcu, bIlu WOulu uI6 III COLulOiU dDlS
at an advanced age. She
old him also that he was in love with a
lizzy blonde who would eventually jilt
him to take up with a good-looking
store clerk. She suggested that he keep
lis weather-eye open for little bru
lette with mole on her chin, who only
desired to toy with him. He would also
ose large sum of money that did not
belong to him, but that it wonld subse-
Iuently be returned by a red-headed
Woman whom he would marry. The
I'D crone also said that he would be an
eyewitness to an awful tragedy, together
With other things too numerous to men
ion. This furnished much matter for
married man to work his thinker on.
Upon parting the woman volunteered
he information that if the newspaper
nan would come around some night she
would tell him what his future was as
evealed by the stars. As twilight was
ettling down and the aisles of the
woods were filled with shadows and the
amp fires were lighting up the weird
nd picturesque scene, he concluded
hat he would not take q hack at the
tars that evening"